Thailand Pledges Support to Its AI Sector, Plans to Enhance Digital Infrastructure

[webfact]

 

Thailand's leadership, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the helm, aims to strengthen the country's Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry and improve its digital framework.

 

The announcement came during the Microsoft Build: AI Day Event, where the Prime Minister highlighted AI's role in reshaping a multitude of sectors.

 

Thailand's implementation of advanced digital infrastructure, such as 5G infrastructure, broadband, mobile connectivity, and an international submarine cable network is evident.

 

This is further supported by the 'Ignite Thailand' plan launched in February. Meant to make Thailand a regional leader in eight key industries, the initiative will lead high-tech industries towards a more secure digital ecosystem.

 

This aligns with a three-year strategy (2024-2027) to enhance the utilization of AI and cloud computing in the country. The Board of Investment has integrated digital technology into strategic investment options, offering substantial incentives for digital-focused activities.

 

Furthermore, the government is committed to transitioning towards green energy, with a goal to derive 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2040. In partnership with Microsoft, a 'sustainability sandbox' will be set up to spur environmental innovation.

 

In November last year, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Microsoft, cementing Thailand's mission towards an AI-driven, cloud-first future. Prime Minister Srettha recognizes this partnership as a critical step in positioning Thailand as a prime destination for the digital industry.

 

TOP picture: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, second left, meets Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, at the "Microsoft Build AI Day" event at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Thailand's Government Spokesman Office via AP)

 

-- 2024-05-02

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[JoePai]

Caption should read : How do we update XP ?

[connda]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Furthermore, the government is committed to transitioning towards green energy, with a goal to derive 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2040. In partnership with Microsoft, a 'sustainability sandbox' will be set up to spur environmental innovation.

The "green energy" trope is a house of cards waiting for a gust of wind to blow it over.

As the Thai government is planning to force the commoners to give up ICE vehicles and all purchase EVs, the fact is that the Thai electric infrastructure - especially an infrastructure where coal, gas, and oil are no longer allowed as sources of electric power - will not be able to handle the massive new load of existing electric demand - PLUS - electric vehicles - PLUS - new data centers - PLUS - industrial expansion.
Heck - look at any city in Thailand.  They are still in the stone-ages when in comes to electric cable infrastructure.  They are going to magically change all of this?  I've been here 17 years and it still looks like it did in 2007.  Another 16 years gets us 2040. 
"We fix all electric by 2040.  Jing jing!" 💩 Of course!
They are going to upgrade all of this to support electric vehicles? AI data centers? Manufacturing infrastructure?  No - they are not.  Nor will a bunch of solar panels and wind turbines produce enough constant, uninterrupted power either.  It's magical thinking.



And now we are talking about Thailand becoming an AI hub? 

This is from a speech by the CEO of Blackrock, Larry Fink, regarding AI given at the World Economic Forum¹ (highlights are mine for emphasis):

"I do believe to properly build out AI we're talking about trillions of dollars of investing. So data centers today could be as much as 200 megahertz - and they're now talking about data centers being one gigawatt. That powers a city," 
Fink also referenced a discussion with the head of an AI data center who told him that their data center needs 5 gigawatts of power which will increase upwards of 30 gigawatts by 2030.

"The amount of power that's needed to use AI has a huge impact on society."
And here the situation summed up by Fink:
"The world is going to be short power - short power - and to power these data companies you cannot have this intermittent power like wind and solar." 

Yep, Thailand will have a green future where deforested mountains and agricultural land are covered with solar panels and wind turbine in order to "Save the planet from the scourge of CO2." 
Freaking think about that. 🤔  Cutting down forests and covering up crop producing land (plants and trees being natural CO2 to O2 scrubbers) to install solar and wind (it's already being done and it's a hot topic [no pun intended] within state legislatures like Rhode Island¹ )

So debt burdened, inflation ravaged Thailand is going to spend how many trillion THB on "green energy" and promoting AI data centers and all the other futuristic whiz-bang technology that requires massive increases in electric power - and run it all over electric infrastructure that was built 30 or 40 years ago and has been upgraded when? 
Like Fink stated, "you cannot have this intermittent power like wind and solar."  Which means <drum roll> nuclear. 
So - how many nuclear power plants does Thailand have in operation?

None, nada, zip, zero, "0".

Yeah - there is plenty of lip-service about how they are going to do this and that with nuclear³ and usher in a sustainable wonder-age for Thailand - but how often in Thailand does "lip service" turn into actionable results?  Within budget, on schedule, and within scope?  How's that few kilometers of High-Speed Rail coming along up North?  More electrically driven whiz-bang tech of course.
Of course! While completely renovating the electrical grid to handle EV and AI with "green energy" while turning off "fossil fuel" generation power plants - by 2030, 2035, 2040 - Thailand will be a power-house of electrically run manufacturing and futuristic technologies and blah blah blah, yada yada yada <more hot air added to the atmosphere>

Whatever.  One thing I've learned in 17 years here in Thailand.  Thais live in the present moment, which is great for meditation practice, but totally sucks for project management and long-term planning.  The only place those plans will take fruition is after a hit on an opium bong (soon to be taken off the Schedule 5 drug list for medical purposes) as the rosy-glow of an "Green Electric Utopia" to rival a Philip K. Dick novel shapes up as nothing more than essentially another Thai Hi-So, ruling-class pipe-dream.

 

1. Speech by Blackrock CEO Larry Fink at the WEF regarding AI and the need for new electric infrastructure,
https://youtu.be/PoRVYFHNc6k?t=2787
2. Leveling Forests for Solar: Advocates for Green Energy Square Off Over Trees vs. Panels, By Mary Lhowe, ecoRI News contributor, June 22, 2022
3. Thailand To Adopt Nuclear Energy To Achieve Carbon neutrality By 2050, NBP, Apr 19, 2024

 

 

Edited May 2 by connda

[connda]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This is further supported by the 'Ignite Thailand' plan launched in February.

Is that why there are so many forest fires up here in Northern Thailand?  "Ignite Thailand." 
Asking for a friend. 

[dinsdale]

AI can help society and AI can produce articles for sites like this.

[stix40]

Maybe prime minister should consult 

Chat bot ai !

As he is clueless!

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's leadership, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the helm, aims to strengthen the country's Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry and improve its digital framework.

Well I suppose that's better than none?

[sidneybear]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Caption should read : How do we update XP ?

Nah. Thailand IT sector has some pretty smart people. 

[Maitdjai]

1 hour ago, stix40 said:

Maybe prime minister should consult 

Chat bot ai !

As he is clueless!

Big, repeating announcements, small, repeating achievements.
Thaksin muppet. T. should run the country by himself. At least more efficient, as all these clowns, and braggers who came after him.